The invention relates generally to material conveying systems, such as to partial-vacuum conveying systems, more particularly to the collection and conveying of wastes, such as to the conveying of household wastes.
Systems wherein wastes are moved in piping by means of a pressure difference or suction are known in the art. In these, wastes are conveyed long distances in the piping by sucking. It is typical to these systems that a partial-vacuum apparatus is used to bring about a pressure difference, in which apparatus a partial vacuum is brought about in the conveying pipe with partial-vacuum generators, such as with vacuum pumps or with an ejector apparatus. A conveying pipe typically comprises at least one valve means, by opening and closing which the replacement air coming into the conveying pipe is regulated. Input points, such as refuse chutes, are used in the systems at the material input end, into which input points material, such as waste material, is fed and from which the material to be conveyed is conveyed into a conveying pipe by opening a discharge valve means. The conveying of wastes occurs mainly by the aid of a pressure difference produced by an air flow. The air flow is generally brought about by sucking air through the piping. Waste material, such as e.g. waste material packed into bags, is conveyed from an input point into a conveying pipe and onwards into a separating device, where the wastes are separated from the transporting air. In connection with the separating device can be a transfer means, such as a transfer means arranged on a cylinder-piston combination, with which transfer means the wastes are displaced from the separating device into a waste container, e.g. into a freight container. These types of solutions comprising a separate separating device, e.g. a cyclone separator, and a waste container separate to it, are well suited to extensive systems in which the space requirements of the waste station do not set limitations. Also known in the art are solutions wherein waste material is conducted in a conveying pipe directly into a waste container, which simultaneously functions as a separating device. These are mainly intended for rather small systems. This type of waste container/separating device is often arranged to be a kind of freight container. In the art they are called horizontal separator containers. A problem in prior-art combinations of a waste container and separating device, more particularly in horizontal separator containers, is that in them a part of the material, or certain types of materials, remain in the container space loosely packed and thus take up space. On the other hand the waste material or recyclable material is in many embodiments packed into bags or sacks, which can in many cases break when it is conducted along with the transporting air into a waste container. This increases, inter alia, hygiene problems, as wastes are able to spread freely in the waste container.
The aim of the present invention is to achieve an entirely new type of solution in connection with a waste container/separating device of a pneumatic wastes conveying system. One aim of the invention is to achieve a waste container/separating device, by the aid of which the problems of prior art are avoided. Another aim is to achieve a combination of a waste container/separating device and a press device, by means of which material can be efficiently condensed into the container space of the waste container/separating device.